Dreams
by spacehikariangel
Summary: Chiharu and Takashi were both up late last night. In school both are constantly in and out of sleep. while sleeping they both have a dream of a prince and a servant girl. CT. i know the summary's bad but please RR
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Ya'll know I don't own CCS or I wouldn't be writing this fanfic. It's my first one that I've ever published so please R/R

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"Dreams"

Prologue

Mihara Chiharu slowly picked up her ringing alarm clock and looked at the time. "Aw man!!! I'm gonna be late!"

She quickly picked up her hanging school uniform and dashed into the bathroom repeating, "Gotta hurry," and, "I can't be late."

Once she finished dressing she ran down the stairs(A/N: Sliding down the banister would've been easier! Chiharu: Shut Up!!!) and into the kitchen where she found her mom.

"Okasaan, can't eat, gotta hurry to school!"

"Well, here's your lunch. You wouldn't want to leave without it."

"Yeah. Arigatou, okaasan. Aishiteru!" she yelled as she ran out the door, bento in hand. As she ran down the street she remembered what had made her so sleepy and started mumbling about that thing or should I say person.

Just as she came near the crosswalk who better to ride by on his dad's motorbike than her long time BF and boyfriend, Yamazaki Takashi. "I see you're late too, Takashi."

"Yup," he said with a smile

"Stop smiling at me, you know that I'm mad at you right now."

"Yes, I do and that's why to make it up I'm offering to take my dear princess Chiharu on a chariot ride to school."

"Huh," she sighed, "look, Takashi, I don't need to deal with your little games right now. I just need to get to school," and with that she walked across the crosswalk only to be stopped by Takashi who had rode right in front of her.

"Let's see the choices are you can either get on your chariot and have a chance at being on time or, you can just stand here and pout as I block your way while risking the chance of both of us being late. So what's your choice."

"Err," Chiharu mumbled as she slowly climbed to the bike, put on a helmet and wrapped her arms around the now smiling Takashi.

"How'd you get your otousan to let you borrow his motorbike, Takashi?"

"Well, I didn't really ask him."

"WHAT!!!! YOU TOOK YOUR OTOUSAN'S BIKE WITHOUT ASKING?!!!!"

"Yeah. Well my tire was flat and I had to hurry so I knew he'd let me use it anyway so…"

"You knew nothing. Your otousan would never let you take his bike in a million years and you do know that he's just gonna say I pushed you to it and hate me even more."

"No he won't."

"You know he will so don't deny it, but for now just worry about getting us to school on time.

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Chiharu and Takashi rode up to the school, hopped off the bike and ran into the building. As they neared the class they heard footsteps behind. As they turned around they realized it was just Sakura, late as usually.

"Hi, Mihara-chan, Yamazaki-kun."

"Hi, Kinomoto-chan," the couple answered as the three of them walked into the classroom together.

"Ah, Kinomoto-san, 2 minutes early. I think that's a record for you," Choi-sensei started, "but today I see you've bought along some friends." She added looking at Chiharu and Takashi as they both sat down.

__

"Why does she always pick on me?"

"Man, why'd Takashi have to keep me up so long last night? Now I'm so ::Yawn: tired."

"I wonder what ::Yawn:: things I'll end up telling Kinomoto-chan today?"

As the three went on wondering about different things and ignoring Choi-sensei Chiharu, feeling particularly tired today, started dozing off. And as she dozed she also started dreaming, dreaming,_ dreaming, dreaming…_

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A/N: LIKE THE PROLOGUE, I KNOW I KNOW NOT VERY EXCITING BUT KEEP READING AND IT SOON WILL BE, I HOPE. OH YEAH PLEASE R/R AND FORGIVE ME IF I USED ANY JAPANESE INCORRECTLY BECAUSE I'M STILL JUST A BEGGINER,


	2. The new servant

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DISCLAIMER: FROM NOW ON I'M NOT PUTTING A DISCLAIMER ON ANY MORE OF THESE PAGES BECAUSE THIS ONE IS GOING TO DISCLAIM THEM ALL I DON'T OWN CCS OR ANY CHARACTERS OF CCS(CLAMP DOES). I OWN THIS STORY AND ALL THE OC'S IN IT AND IF YOU TRY TAKING IT W/O PERMISSION…

"Dreams"

Chapter 1

"The New Servant"

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Mihara Chiharu walked through the spacious field of Emperor Yamazaki. He was the most talked about king everywhere, and now, she was working in his palace. But she wasn't that excited, for though he was talked about a lot, most of the talking was bad. Stuff about his cruelty to his son and his wife (of whom disappeared when there son was 4 ½ ). 

Though she knew they were just rumors something told her that at least some of it was true. But she couldn't think about that now, she had to think about her new duties as one of the many servants of the emperor's son.

"Now, this is where we sleep," Naoko said as she opened the door to the on the first cabin in a row of them. "One bed for you, one for me. Both accompanied by a little desk to put papers and pictures in. Unfortunately there's only one closet and one bathroom, but then again, this is the only cabin that actually has an inside bathroom so, it's still good."

Chiharu looked around the room excitedly, this was to be her new home, at least for now.

Just as she started thinking about this a short girl with dirt blond hair and green eyes step through the door with the worst of expressions. She quickly opened the closet doors and pulled out three dresses, two pairs of shoes and a few shirts, sweaters, etc. After gathering all that she bent down and slid a small suitcase from under the bed which now belonged to Chiharu. 

Once she had put all her stuff in the suitcase she slowly stood up and headed toward the door. When she got close enough to Naoko and Chiharu she gave Naoko a hug, whispered something and then glowered at Chiharu as she headed towards the machine.

After she disappeared from site Chiharu asked Naoko, "Who was that, and why did she look so, so upset?"

"That was Nakita Melina, she use to be in charge of the same thing that you are."

"Why, isn't she anymore?"

"Well, something happen and the king decided to marry her off though she didn't want to. Actually she would've run away if it hadn't been for…"

Chiharu, completely understanding what Naoko meant, thought upon what she had just learned then asked, "Does he do that to all of the servants?"

"No, I mean I've worked here for years and he still hasn't married me off, or the nurse, Sasaki-chan."

"Well, how long had she been here?"

"A few months."

Chiharu sat down on her bed and thought about this intently. I mean how could someone force you to get engaged and then when you don't want to gets you pregnant so you can't leave? That's just cruel. 

Naoko seeing Chiharu's distress suggested that they go to the castle to meet the king. Though she was still a little freaked out she quickly jumped up, ran to the door and said, "Let's go, Yanagisawa-chan!"

Chiharu was amazed as she entered the palace. I mean it looked beautiful from the outside, but it looked magnificent from the inside. Chiharu could've spent hours just staring at the marble and jade that filled the building, but of course she was there to work, not to stare.

"Hmm, I wonder where he could be?" Naoko said after looking in a few rooms. "Yamazaki-sama! Yamazaki-sama, the new girl is here!"

"Stop yelling, Yanagisawa-chan," a tall, handsome boy(whose eyes were closed) said as he walked out of one of the many doors, "Yamazaki-sama isn't here, so whatever you have to tell him tell me because I'm now in charge. At least that's what he said."

"Are you sure about that, Yamazaki-kun. I mean Yamazaki-sama and you don't have that good of a relationship, and there's the fact that you do tell a lot of lies."

"I do not lie, I just-"See, you're lying right now saying that you don't lie so you do lie."

"Nani?"

"Nevermind," she said as she shook her head at him. "Anyway, I came here to introduce the new girl to Yamazaki-sama, but since he's not here I'll just introduce her to you.

Naoko slid to the side revealing Chiharu who bowed slightly. "Ohayo, my name is Yamazaki Takashi," the prince said with great enthusiasm, "and I'll be the one that you'll be helping."

"Ohayo Gozaimasu," she said as she bowed once more.

"Aw there's no need to bow to me, uuh-"Mihara. Mihara Chiharu."

"Ah, Mihara-chan. What a beautiful name."

"Arigatou," she said as her face turned a slight red.

"Yamazaki-san stop trying to flatter her."

"What, it is a beautiful name for one of the most beautiful girls I know," he said once again making Chiharu blush.

"Well who are the other girls?"

"Let's see out of the people here there's you, Sasaki-san, and even though they left Nakita-chan and my okaasan. For other people I know there's my aunt Yelan-sama, my cousin Meiling and I think that's about it."

"I see there have been a lot of beautiful women in your life," Chiharu joked as she recovered from her fluctuation.

"You're quite right, Mihara-san," Takashi replied to her, "and for that I think that this relationship is starting off to a good start.

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A/n: SO WHAT DO YOU THINK, I KNOW I KNOW STILL NOT SAYING A LOT BUT HEY IT'S JUST THE BEGINNING YOU KNOW WO STAY TUNED.


	3. Math and Boys

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"Dreams"

Chapter 2

Math and boys

"Mihara-san. Mihara-san! Mihara Chiharu!!!!"

"Hai, sensei!" Chiharu said as she broke free of her dream.

"Answer the question on the board."

"Um…" Chiharu mumbled as she tried to figure out the solution in her head. Why, today of all days did she have to fall asleep? Why couldn't it have been on a day when they were doing something easy?

"Please, hurry, Mihara-san, we haven't got all day you know."

Chiharu thought as hard as she could, oh how she hated being put on the spot. Just then Takashi got an idea.

He quickly grabbed a pen, made sure Choi-sensei couldn't see him and wrote the answer on Chiharu's palm while her hands were behind her back. "What in the world did he just write on my hand," she thought as she brought her hand up to her head to rub it.

Just then she noticed that on her hand was the number "11" which…must be the answer! "It's 11."

"Aw, very good Mihara-san. I see you can even pay attention in your sleep," Choi-sensei said as the class laughed.

"Now, I want you to do pages 123-125 prob. 2-36/40-60 and I'll give you your worksheet at the end of the period."

"Can we work in partners?"

"As long as it doesn't get to rowdy." 

As soon as she said that Chiharu turned her chair around to face Takashi. Who already had his book opened(as usual) and handed her a piece of notebook paper.

"Arigatou."

"Your welcome."

"Not just for the paper but for, you know."

"Yeah, I know."

"And gomen for this morning I guess I was still grouchy."

"It's okay, everyone gets grouchy sometimes. Besides, I know I'm still loved."

"You're a mess, Takashi."

"Hey do you know where that saying came from?"

"Math, Takashi, Math."

"But the-"Math."

Luckily with Takashi's help she finished everything but a few problems on the last page. Leaving enough time for both of them to catch up on their sleep.(which they didn't get caught for because Sakura, knowing how they felt used Illusion so that it looked as if they were workingain't that a good friend). As soon as they fell asleep they drifted off to the kingdom of Yamazaki-san. Where Chiharu and Naoko sat.

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"Whose turn is it?" Chiharu asked Naoko as she put on her dress. She'd been there about 3 ½ months and had now gotten use to: waking up early, Yamazaki-kun's stories, waking Yamazaki-kun up, making sure Yamazaki-kun stayed out of trouble, washing clothes and dishes, fixing dinner, going to the store, spending evenings in the field and having Yamazaki-kun braid her hair the mornings that she woke him up. It all seemed normal now, it gave her more of a purpose in life then she had before, and it felt good.

"It's your turn," Naoko said handing her a bag. "Unfortunately meaning that I have to wash the dishes tonight."

"Don't worry, Yamazaki-kun will help. Besides dealing with Yamazaki-kun's stories for most of the morning is a tiring thing also."

Naoko laughed as she pushed Chiharu out the door. "You better go."

"I'm going. I'm going," Chiharu giggled as she walked out the door towards the kingdom. Naoko was the best friend she ever had. Actually she was one of the few friends she ever had. As timid and ostracized as she was in school. But now she didn't have to think about the bad times, she could focus on the good. The good which was her new friends.

"Yamazaki-kun, Sasaki-chan, Yanagisawa-chan," she said aloud to herself as she skipped through the doors of the palace. As she skipped she ran into someone…the king.

"Sumimasen, gomen nasai," she said panicky as she bowed.

"Hmph," the king grunted as he passed her by. Though Chiharu had gotten used to everything else she still wasn't use to the coldness of the king. But still, everybody met a grouch someday.

She quickly ran up the stairs. Around, and around, and around, until finally she reached the top. 

"3 doors down," she said in a sing songy voice. "Ichi…Ni…SAM!!!" she exclaimed bursting into Takashi's room and opening the window. "Wake up, sleepy head!!"

"Come on, Mihara-chan, just 5 more minutes. Only 5," he pleaded.

"NO WAY!!!! We've got a schedule to keep and according to the schedule it's time for you…TO GET UP!" she said pushing him off the bed..

"Man, I hate when you guys do that," he said as he stood up and walked to his closet.

"I know," she said sitting down in a chair facing his mirror and coming her hair. "Now hurry up and pick something to wear so you can braid my hair and we can be on with our day."

"Hai, ojosama," he said as he started to braid her hair.

"You think you're a real joker don't you?"

"Do you know where the word "joker" came from?"

"Oh no."

"A long time ago there used to be this really funny looking animal called the jok. It could fly, walk and even swim. All the rich folks wanted them for pets and meat and coats so they gave out great rewards if you could bring one back. Not many people could catch them but those who could they called "Jokers." 

After many years the jok's came close to extinction, so close that there was only one left. Many tried to catch it but failed. The only person successful was a very old man. He was said to have dressed up like the jok. The man also did the dance of the jok while making the noises of it also. 

After hearing this the king asked the man to show them, and so he did. The king said it was so funny that all funny doings should be named after the man. But the man said no it should be named after the Jok for it was the jok that him the idea. And so they named funny things or sayings joks but as time went by other nations started adding the "E" that's why we spell it "J-O-K-E", and that's where the word joker comes from."

"Where do all those lies come from???"

"What lies?" he said giving her the comb and making her face the mirror.

"You know, I don't know why I try," she said to him shaking her head and heading out the door. "Oh, and my hair's beautiful, as always."

Takashi quickly ran after her as they neared the stairs. "Come on," he started as usual.

"We've already been through this, no!"

"But it's fun"

"And dangerous."

"It's exciting."

"And you could slip off and fall."

"Come on just today. I'll go down first. Yamazaki-san's gone too."

Everyday he'd asked her to slide down the banister, she'd say no but today she felt like something new was about to happen so rolling her eyes she said, "Fine."

"Yeah!" he shouted in triumph. "Now I'll go down first, count to twenty and then start. Hold on to this pillow and not the banister or you'll get a bad burn. Got it."

"I got it."

Takashi started down the long twisting banister and Chiharu started to count. "Ichi…Ni…Sam…shi…go…roku…shichi…hachi…ku…ju…(I can only count to 10 in Japanese so)11…12…13…14…15…16…17…18…19…and she jumped on the banister as she yelled "20!!" 

It was actually kind of fun. All the twists and turns. But the best part had to be flying off the end and being caught by Takashi. He swirled her around twice as they both laughed then they fell down on the pillow and laughed even harder.

But they soon stopped yelling when they realized that in falling Chiharu had landed on Takashi. They probably wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't put her head on his chest making them both blush.

"Um…gomen," she said quickly getting up and straightening her dress, in the 3 ½ months she'd been here this was like the thousandth thing like that to happen between her and Takashi and she was starting to believe they weren't just coincidences.

"It's all right," he said playing it off as nothing "But we better go start breakfast before Yamazaki-san return's."

They quickly walked into the kitchen where Rika and Naoko were waiting for them. Naoko pulled Chiharu to the side as Rika talked to Takashi. 

"You do know I saw that," she said.

"Saw what?" Chiharu said knowing exactly what she was talking about but trying to play it off.

"Don't try that," Naoko said, "because I know that you know what I know you know.

"Nan???"

"You know that I'm talking about that little "fall" you took."

"What fall?"

"Mihara-chan, look you and I both know this isn't the first time something like this has happening, and maybe it's just me or do they seem to be happening more often," she said looking Chiharu straight in the eyes. "Why can't you admit the fact that they've all been planned by a prince who really, really likes you?"

Chiharu stared at Naoko thinking about all that she'd said. How could it be that a high, mighty prince like Takashi would like her? Impossible, or is it.

"I don't need to admit it if it's not true."

"Then what about-"Come on we have to get breakfast ready before Yamazaki-san comes back."

"I'm not finished with you yet, Mihara-chan."

"Whatever," she said, though she new Naoko was forming a plan right then and there.

"Were you ladies talking about me," Takashi said with an arrogant smile as Naoko and Chiharu finished their short talk.

"You're full of yourself, Yamazaki-kun," Rika said as she reached for the pancake mix.

"I know," he said taking out the eggs.

The three girls and Takashi worked hard preparing pancakes, eggs, toast, French toast and half of all the breakfast foods you can think off. But the only problem they had with cooking so much food(besides the fact that it's tiring) is that they didn't get to eat it. All the food they prepared was for Yamazaki-san, Takashi, the guards, and all the kings other high people. Luckily for them Takashi always made sure that they had some before it was served and after the rich people were done.

"Finally finished," Chiharu said plopping down on a chair. Then she noticed that Takashi was staring at her. "Nani?"

"Nothing," he said as walking out of the room to greet his father.

"You two would really make a great couple," Rika said as she washed her hands.

"Not you too, Sasaki-chan."

"See, I told you it was true," Naoko said.

"No it's not. You just"-Seemingly out of nowhere the king appeared by the door followed by the now unsmiling Takashi.

Chiharu stood up as all the girls bowed and said, "Ohayo Gozaimasu, Yamazaki-sama."

"Hmph," he grunted as he looked at the kitchen. "Is breakfast ready?"

"Hai, Yamazaki-sama."

"Then what are you standing around here for, bring it to the main dining room!"

"Hai, Yamazaki-sama," the girls said as they hurriedly picked up the plates and took them to the dining room. As usual when they entered a few nasty comments were made by the soldiers, the lords & nobles, and especially by the ladies of the lords and nobles who thought that they were better than any other person, except for the king. Oh how Chiharu wanted to show them what she was made of, but instead, she just put the food on the table and walked out without a smile.

"Mihara-chan," Takashi said as she got ready to leave the house, "we have to talk later, okay."

"Okay," she said forcing a smile though she had a pretty good idea what he was going to say.

The rest of the day Chiharu spent out in the fields. Picking flowers, climbing trees, anything to get her mind of him. She had to be wrong about what he was gonna say but what would happen if she wasn't? Just then she saw Takashi running towards her with sweat running down his face.

"Mihara-chan, I've been looking for you for the past 30 minutes," he said as he sat down beside her.

"Really, I've been out here the whole time."

"Well, I'm glad I finally found you so we can talk," he said catching his breath.

"About what?" she said hoping and praying she was wrong.

"Well tomorrow two of my cousins are coming and I was wondering if I could do you hair tonight because I know Yamazaki-san will have you all running all over the place meaning you might not have time."

"Sure, but when since we'll probably be getting up earlier?"

"How about now?" he said pulling a comb, brush and mirror out of his bag.

"So resourceful," she said as he unbraided her hair and started brushing it.

As he did her hair they talked. It started out about nothing in particular, the sky, the trees but then it got more into family matters.

"So what are your cousins like?"

"Um…well let me think," he said trying to think of a good way to explain it, "my cousin Meiling is pretty nice but has a mild temper so don't make her mad. Oh and her jealousy often gets the better of her. Now my cousin Syaoran is rather reserved but still quite kind he can often become over-protective of Meiling and anyone else that he loves. Somehow he always manages to come at a shocking time."

"Your family sounds nice," she said in a despondent voice.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just, well…When I was really young my otousan died so it was just me and my okaasan. We were barely making ends meat so…she had to give me away. A very kind nurse named Imani took care of me until I was 13. That's when I left and started looking for any job I could find. That's how I got here."

"You didn't have much of a family?"

"Nope, but that's okay. I mean you guys are my family now."

Takashi smiled at this making Chiharu smile. Soon after their little discussion Takashi finished her hair. Once he was done they laid back on the grass and looked at the setting sun.

"It's getting late, we better had back so we can fix dinner," she said standing up. "Don't Yamazaki-san yelling at us."

"Wait," he said as he stood up and grabbed her wrist.

"Nan?" she asked as he put his hand on her cheek.

"What are you doing?" she asked as he leaned in and kissed her.

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A/N: sorry for not updating in awhile but school overtook my life. Anyway it's kind of a cliffy but I hope you like. I'll try to post the next chapter sooner then this one.


	4. Complicated

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"Dreams"

Chapter 3

Complicated

She'd never been so shocked in her life, but then again she'd never felt so relaxed and calm. In those few seconds she felt like nothing could hurt her, like no matter what he would always protect her. Then, it ended.

His hand still lay on her cheek but she didn't notice. All she noticed was…him. She never really realized how warm his hands were or how calm and sweet he looked. 

Just then she realized something, for the first time since she'd been there his eyes were open. They were a deep brown, deeper than the ocean, and they were dragging her in. She leaned in to kiss him, but once she remembered who he was and what she was, she stopped and ran.

She ran as fast as she could go, knowing she couldn't look back. Though she was unsure which way she'd run she just kept running. After a while she heard the voices of Sasaki-chan and Yanagisawa-chan. When she could see them through the open kitchen window she slowed down, took a deep breath and walked in the door.

"You're late," Naoko started as she stirred a bowl. Just then she noticed how red Chiharu's cheeks were. "What happened to you?!"

Chiharu didn't answer she just plopped down in the nearest chair and tried to catch her breath and slow her heart. Once she could breath again she heard the door open and her heart stopped. She listened carefully as Takashi once again got into an argument with Yamazaki-san, fortunately this one wasn't that long. 

As her heart started beating again she noticed that there were footsteps coming towards them.

"Oh no," she thought as she subconsciously put her hand on the cheek he'd touched, "he's coming in here."

Takashi slowly walked through the kitchen doors, not noticing he was being watched very carefully by Chiharu. He walked up to Naoko and whispered something that was oblivious to Chiharu and Rika. 

"Mihara-chan," she said looking confused and excited as she did when reading one of the many horror books Takashi had lent her, "you seem tired today. Why don't you just put that pan in the oven and then go rest."

"I'm fine," she said getting up from her chair, "I've almost never felt better."

"Yeah, but you look worn out and you know what Yamazaki-san will say."

Chiharu thought about this as she put the pan into the oven. She knew Takashi had told Naoko something, but what, and what stuff would he tell her after she left.

"No, it's okay," she insisted trying to stay in the room.

"You should rest," Takashi said not looking at her, "you've been out all day."

"But I-"Yamazaki-kun, take her to our cabin," Naoko said as she pushed Chiharu out of the door.

Knowing she couldn't win Chiharu slowly followed Takashi out of the door. She made sure to stay a few steps behind him as they walked out of the house.

"What was that all about?" Rika asked Naoko.

"More than I've been told, that's for sure."

They walked through the field without a sound. This lasted for a long time until Takashi stopped, took a breath, and spoke.

"Gomennasai," he said running it all together.

"For what?" she asked though she knew exactly what he was talking about.

He turned around to face her, "For the…Um"-just as he turned Chiharu, who had stepped back, tripped over something. Not only that but whatever tripped her also pushed her forward and she landed on Takashi who landed on the ground with a slight thump.

"Gomen nasai," she said quickly as she tried to get up. 

When she was half way up something behind her pushed her down causing her lips to land on Takashi's. Neither of them was as stunned as the last time but it still left the same relaxed feeling in both of them.

Once again when it was over they stared at each other. Soon Chiharu's eyes were filled with tears for the knowledge that know matter how much she loved him it wasn't allowed. She got up to run to her cabin but this time he grabbed her wrist and stopped her.

"LET GO!!!"

"I won't," he said with a great amount of determination, "I won't let go of you now or ever."

Her heart stopped at these words. She wanted him to hold her to never let go but it wasn't possible. A prince can't love a poor servant girl.

"NO!!!" she yelled as she forced his hand off her and ran even faster then she had before, crying all the way. 

Once she reached her cabin she fell on her bed and sobbed.

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"Yamazaki-kun, Yamazaki-kun, wake-up," Syaoran said shaking his friend.

"Huh, what?"

"Class is over, Yamazaki-kun," Sakura said as she walked over to Syaoran.

"Oh," he said blinking a few times then gently shaking Chiharu.

"Just a few more minutes," she mumbled.

"No more minutes, Mihara-chan."

Once Chiharu had woken up and blinked a few times Sakura and Syaoran helped them gather their books for the next class.

"Couples helping other couples," Tomoyo whispered as she video taped from a nearby corner, "So kawaii!!!"

The two couples, followed by Tomoyo, walked through the hallway to their next classes. On the way there Sakura asked Chiharu why she seemed mad when she came into class.

"I was just grouchy because I was up late last night," she said with a drowsy smile and a yawn.

"Doshite?"

"Well…Um-"She was up late because of me," Takashi interrupted.

Syaoran and Sakura looked at him quizically as he yawned. 

"Yesterday when we were out he asked me to get this book for him because if he got it his otousan would see it," Chiharu started, "It took me along time to find it and once I did it was to late to give it to him so I called him. He told me exactly what to do in the book and by the time he'd finished I was so tired and grouchy that I got really mad at him for making me do it. This morning I was still upset though he tried apologizing, but now everything's all right."

Just then the bell rang and they hurried of to their next class. For Sakura and Syaoran it was Science and for Chiharu and Takashi it was Literature.

"Another boring day of Jang-sensei," Chiharu said.

Jang-sensei was half Japanese and half Korean. He was born in Korea and had spent half of his life there. He was a good teacher but he had a need to give long speeches about his childhood and somehow put them into Literature.

"Well, think of it this way, more talk equals more sleep."

"Talking about sleep I had the weirdest dream during math."

"You know something, so did I," Takashi said as Jang-sensei walked through the door.

"Konichiwa, class."

"Konichiwa, Jang-sensei."

"Today we will work on some more grammar sheets and start our next journal. After that we will go over the 3rd and 4th chapters of the story, "My life, my love," which you were supposed to read for homework."

"Good," Chiharu whispered to Takashi who sat in front of her, "a day where we can get plenty of sleep. I've already finished my journal and got half way through my grammar sheet. Anata ka?"

Takashi was quiet for a minute but then he said, "Finished both."

"You're such a show-off."

"You know that a show-off was actually a really big pig that"-"Focus on Jang-sensei, Yamazaki-kun."

"But"-"Jang-sensei."

In a few minutes Chiharu had her grammar sheet done. They listened to the first few sentences of Jang-sensei's talk but soon they were off drifting in the world of Prince Yamazaki and The Servant girl Mihara-chan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Oh, this is gonna be one of the hard couples," Li Meiling said as she watched her cousin stare the way that girl had run. "It'll be almost as difficult as Xiaolang and that magi girl, what's her name…Um…Kinomoto Sakura, that's it."

She watched Takashi stand there for what to him, seemed like hours. He kept asking himself why she kept running away but subconsciously, he knew.

After awhile he decided he would go back to his room and think things over. On his way back he couldn't help wondering what Chiharu was thinking right now. Did she hate him? Did she wish she'd never met him? So many things to worry about.

He slowly walked towards the house. Knowing Naoko would question him and that Yamazaki-san would start another argument, he decided to do something he hadn't done since he was about 7. He walked over to the side of the palace where his window was and slowly climbed up the vine to his open window(A/N: Takashi Tarzan, might make a good fanfic).

When he got there he was surprised for he found a tall brown-haired boy sleeping on his bed.

"Xiaolang, wake-up."

"Huh," Li Xiaolang said as he rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Oh, Takashi, it's you. I've been waiting for you and"-just then Meiling stepped through the door vines and leaves through her hair and camouflage on staring at Takashi like he was an idiot.

"Where have you been, jungle woman?" Xiaolang asked as he stood up and stretched.

"I was outside."

"We can see that," he said, "Now tell us how all those vines and stuff got through your hair."

"Well I was…Um….taking a walk," she started saying the first thing that came to her mind, "and then I…Um….tripped on a rock and ugh….fell into a bush. Yeah, that's what happened."

"So you tripped on a bush and fell into a rock?" Xiaolang asked.

"Um…Yeah!!!" she answered not realizing his trick.

Xiaolang sighed, "What were you really up to?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Not really, but go ahead and tell me anyway."

"I was working on my matchmaking skills."

"Not again. On who this time?"

Meiling's glanced slowly turned to her cousin Takashi.

"Me!" he said shocked, "You were trying to match ME up with someone."

"Yup!"

Takashi sighed, "Who?"

"Well I haven't met her yet but she looks nice, she has brown hair and she wears it in two big braids. She was wearing a yellow dress with flowery designs all over it. Since I haven't met her I assume that she's the new servant girl that's here to replace Nakita-chan."

As Meiling spoke Takashi plopped down on a chair with a thump as all the problems of the past day came back to him. Meiling walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder to reassure him.

"Don't worry, couz, I'll make sure you two end up together or my name's not Li Meiling."

"That's my sister," Xiaolang said, "full of spunk and determination."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning Chiharu was rudely awakened by a loud noise. As she became more awake she realized it was a trumpet, signifying that something important was happening. She quickly put on the first dress she picked out which happened to be one of Takashi's favorites. Why was she thinking about him now?

"Hurry up, Mihara-chan," Naoko said as she hurriedly tied the belt on her dress.

"What's going on, Yanagisawa-chan?"

"It seems that last night Yamazaki-kun's cousins arrived without notice so now is the time to make it noticed."

Chiharu just nodded at this for her mind had gone blank when she heard Takashi's name. She kept wondering why she couldn't get his name out of her head, and what was that nagging feeling inside she couldn't stop.

Naoko grabbed Chiharu's hand and lead her out the door all the while telling her that with all the ruckus it was usually hard to get to the palace. They walked at a speedy pace until they ran into one of the guards.

"This way," he said leading them through another entrance.

"Arigatou," they replied walking faster now than before. As they walked they heard voices but paid no mind to them and soon there was a collision.

"Ow!!!" the 5 teens yelled at once.

"There you are," Takashi said with a yawn, "We were just coming to get you."

"Really," Naoko said, "or were you looking for a way out of this big ceremonial breakfast."

"I choose all of the above," Takashi said with a smile all the time paying close attention to Chiharu.

"You're a mess, Yamazaki-kun," Naoko said, "Isn't that right, Mihara-chan?"

At that moment Chiharu's face changed from the gloomy one she had on to her naturally perky self, "Yeah, he's a mess."

"Maybe if I act perky no one will no anything's wrong," Chiharu and Takashi thought simultaneously smiling the whole time.

Together the groups walked to the kitchen where Rika was already waiting.

"What took you guys so long?" she said in an unusually edgy voice. "If you hadn't come when you did Yamazaki-san might of made me prepare breakfast by myself."

Chiharu looked in amazement at the naturally calm girl. She'd never seen Rika so uptight. 

Just as she thought this Naoko whispered to her, "Whenever big things like this happen even Sasaki-chan gets a little edgy, but it's only because she has way more tasks then normal so it's tiring for her."

Chiharu nodded to show that she understood. She could already tell that today was going to be a hard day with Rika being edgy and then there was herself, trying to play off her never-ending worries.

"Cooking," Meiling said loudly, "I love cooking!"

"Just don't let her bake a cake," Xiaolang said as the group laughed and Meiling shot him a nasty look.

With 5 people helping out breakfast was finished in no time so to pass the time they all sat down and chatted.

"So, Meiling tells me you have a girlfriend," Takashi said leaning back in his chair a little before being pushed back by a now blushing Chiharu.

"Yup, she's a magi and really pretty and kind too," just then Meiling gave a suggestive cough. "Oh Yeah," Xiaolang started as he rolled his eyes, "Meiling helped my and my girlfriend get together."

"Helped! Helped! If it wasn't for me and Daidouji-san you guys would never be together."

"You guys are quite a comical pair," Chiharu said laughing as Meiling and Xiaolang made faces at each other.

Suddenly Meiling stopped making faces and got a freaky glare in her eyes, "So, Mihara-chan, did you have a boyfriend before you came here?"

Slightly blushing she lowered her head and replied, "Nope. I've never had a boyfriend."

"Why not, Mihara-chan?" Naoko asked nosily.

"Well, ever since otousan died I'd spent all my life helping mother provide for our family. Unfortunately, me being there was just making things harder for her so I moved out and ended up here," with a slight laugh she added, "With that busy of a schedule I didn't even have time for friends."

"So you didn't have any friends?" Rika asked astonished.

"Well maybe one or two that I knew from elementary school but besides that…Nope."

"Well," Meiling said pretending to think intensely on something, "since you already have friends why don't you try getting a boyfriend here?"

"Here, you're kidding right."

"Naw, I 'm serious."

"Who would I find here, I mean all the servants are girls so the only boys I see are Yamazaki-san, the lords, and the knights."

"Let's see," Meiling said this time actually thinking intensely about something, "the lords are usually too old or are married, the knight's are usually too stuck up and they've totally devoted themselves to a man I know you hate, so….I've got it, why don't you go out with Takashi."

At this quote Takashi made such a face and turned so red that you couldn't tell if he was mad or embarrassed by Meiling's lack of respect for his personal feelings. As for Chiharu, she blushed so hard she felt like her face was on fire which is why it was so hard to muster up her words, "Are…you crazy…I…I…can't…go…out…with…with…him, I…I…mean…he's…he's a prince…and…I'm a…I'm a-" at this last part Chiharu broke out crying.

"Meiling, look what you did this time!" Xiaolang yelled giving her a look of pure infuriation.

Putting her head down she slowly walked over to Chiharu, "Gomen nasai, Mihara-chan. I never intended to upset you. Please don't cry."

At this Chiharu just cried even harder. How had her life become so messed up and complicated? When had love become so hard?

Just then Yamazaki-san's footsteps could be heard coming down the hallway. Everybody but Takashi, who was still glued to his chair, tried to get Chiharu to stop crying.

"Mihara-chan, stop, onegai," Rika pleaded with her, "You can't get in trouble, not now."

"I don't care," was her first respond, "I don't care about any of it I just want it to stop."

"WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS!!!" Yamazaki-san yelled over them as he stared at Chiharu with pure disgust. He slowly walked up to her, "GET UP AND STOP BLUBBERING YOU WENCH!!"

"Leave her alone," Takashi said standing up and getting in front of Chiharu. "You have no right to treat her or any of them like that."

Raising his hand towards Takashi, "YOU UNGRATEFUL GAKI"-"Yamazaki-sama," Meiling said using her charm on him, "I'm starving, when is the breakfast ceremony?"

Turning his back from Takashi, "Right now. Hurry up and bring the food in."

The girls quickly brought the food in not wanting to stay in there for too long. Unfortunately with all that food it took much longer than they thought it would even going their fastest.

Halfway through the meal Takashi quickly excused himself against Yamazaki-san's will and went onto the porch where Naoko and Rika were taking a well deserved rest.

"Um…Where's Mihara-chan?"

"She went to the big tree near the center of the field."

"Arigato, Yanagisawa-chan."

Walking fast it only took Takashi about 5 minutes to reach the tree. As he looked up he saw Chiharu sitting on one the branches messing with her hair. He slowly sat down and laid his back on the bark of the tree. Just as he closed his eyes to take in a breath of the fresh air, he felt something hit him on the head.

"If you're here now that means you didn't eat that much," Chiharu said pointing to the apple that had hit him in his head.

"Arigato."

"It's nothing," she said jumping down from the tree and sitting next to him, "I mean, you were the one who stood up for me in front of Yamazaki-san."

He blushed at this comment not able to utter a word. How come he'd become so nervous in so little time?

"Talking about that, why did you stand up for me like that?"

"I…Um," he started thinking of something to say, "I did it because I didn't want him to hurt you."

Chiharu blushed at this but still pushed herself to keep talking, "Why don't you want me to get hurt?"

"I don't want anyone to get hurt because it's wrong," he started carefully monitoring her facial expressions, "but I don't want you to get hurt in particular because…because I love you."

Chiharu opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. Had he really said what she thought he had? Did he really mean it?"

Becoming more confident in himself Takashi looked deep inside himself to find the right words to say, "Yes, I said it and I'll say it again, 'I love you, Mihara Chiharu. If you weren't in my life it wouldn't be worth living. Everyday I see your smile it's like seeing the sun rise right before my eyes. Every time I feel your warm breath it's like a cool spring breeze. Every time I touch your hair or your arm it's like touching silk. Mihara Chiharu if you don't feel the same way about me then tell me now but know that no matter what I will always love you."

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A/n: Sorry for taking so long with this chapter but 1st I got in trouble, then I got writer's block and we went on vacation, then I still had writer's block when we came back but that was because I had so much homework and so many projects to do and finish. Man, I can't wait until summer!!  
Anyway, what do you think about this chapter that took me a very long time to right. Yes, it's a cliffy but I can't help it, I couldn't fit the next part I wanted in here and besides it leaves an edge to make people want to come backJ 


	5. True Love

**__**

"Dreams"

Chapter 4

True Love

A/n: the translation of Scarlet is at the bottom of the page**

Chiharu just stared at Takashi blankly as she processed everything he had said. He shouldn't...no he couldn't love her, but he said it. Everything had suddenly become so confusing to her.

Takashi slowly got up to leave feeling he wasn't wanted. As he stood up Chiharu tried to muster up something to say, but the only words that would come out of her mouth were, "Don't leave me."

As Takashi stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Chiharu he noticed tears slowly falling from her eyes. Slowly her silent cry turned into a loud sob. He slowly bent down in front of her letting her cry on his shoulder.

This went on for what seemed to them like an eternity and the whole time all they could think about was how their lives had become so complicated. Chiharu slowly lifted her head so that her almost dried out eyes were looking directly at Takashi's.

"Are you okay?" he asked never taking his eyes from hers. 

"I don't know," she said dropping her head, "I really don't know. I don't know anything anymore! Before I came here I was sure I knew what love was, what friendship was, what...what was right and wrong, but now...Everything just gets more confusing everyday!"

Takashi looked down as she said this. She was right. Everything did get more confusing each and everyday. For him it had been like this ever since his okaasan left.

Just as he thought this he remembered something his okaasan used to say all the time. Gently putting his hands on Chiharu's face and positioning it in a way in which she'd be looking right at him he whispered, "You know something, Mihara Chiharu, whenever you feel like you can't figure out what's right or wrong or which way you should go in life just listen to your heart. Trust me on this one."

Chiharu thought intensely about this for a few seconds. Listen to your heart. So simple yet so hard. Her heart...heart...love. Just as she started to come to shocking a revelation Meiling came running from the castle.

"Mihara-chan, Takashi, it's time to go back to the castle and you'd better hurry before Yamazaki-san notices you guys were out here."

"If you're here than whose making sure he doesn't find out?" Takashi said standing up and then turning to help the once again blushing Chiharu.

"Xiaolang, and that's why I said you'd better hurry before he ends up getting into an argument."

"Then let's go," Chiharu said in an unusual tone as she smiled an unusual smile.

"What did you do to her, Takashi?"

"I have no clue."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Yamazaki-kun, it's time to go to Science," Chiharu said yawning as she picked up her books and stood in front of his desk.

"Just 2 more minutes, okaasan."

"I'm not your okaasan, Yamazaki-kun!" Chiharu said as she hit him on the head with her book instantly waking him up.

"Ow! You didn't have to hit me that hard."

"What you want more?"

"NO!!" 

"I thought so," Chiharu said laughing as they walked to Science together.

After they'd gone a few steps Chiharu stopped mid tracks and dropped all her books. 

"Mihara-chan, are you okay?" Takashi said in the most awake tone he'd used all day. 

At first Chiharu just stood there but then she suddenly snapped out of whatever it was she was in. "Huh, oh yeah I'm just fine. I just got a sudden headache, you know, like sudden brain freezes except a little bit different" she said in a voice that was more shaky then Takashi would've liked it.

"I thought you were having a heart-attack or something," he said picking up her books.

"Aw, you care," she said in a slightly mocking voice.

"What do you expect," he said slightly opening his eyes and giving her a look that made her blush slightly, "I am your boyfriend after all."

"Yeah, you are, but what does "boyfriend" really mean?"

Takashi thought about this for a minute. What did that really mean? Was there even a true definition for it? 

Just then he noticed Chiharu's charm bracelet. He'd given it to her the last Valentine's day and she had loved it. He remember her joy as if it was only yesterday. 

"The definition of a true boyfriend is a guy who loves his girl so much that he would give up his life for her. So much that all the jewels in the world couldn't amount to her worth."

Chiharu smiled as her hand gradually met his, "I see lies aren't the only things that come out of your mouth."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chiharu, Meiling and Takashi quickly sneaked into the castle through the back way. They were quiet the whole time not wanting to be caught. As they neared the kitchen they could here Xiaolang and Yamazaki-san argue over some petty thing. 

"There you guys are," Naoko said putting a pan in the oven. "We've been wondering if you guys were all right"

"Why would you be wondering that?" Chiharu asked.

"Well it was just after this morning..." 

"This morning I was just a little uptight," she stated with a big smile on her face. "Now I don't have a care in the world," she said spinning around and then ending with a curtsy.

Rika shook her head at Chiharu dumfounded. What had Takashi done to her to make her so, so unexplainably happy? They were only out there for a little while, at least not long enough to really do anything.

"Well, Miss ballerina, it's time to start fixing lunch," Rika stated laughing as Chiharu tiptoed to the cupboard.

Xiaolang came into the kitchen a few minutes later slightly steaming after his argument with Yamazaki-san. After he calmed down the teens started talking again making sure not to talk about the same subject as in the morning.

"So Li-chan," Chiharu started, "do you have a boyfriend?"

"Unfortunately, no."

"That's because she scares all the boys away." Xiaolang mumbled as Meiling once again gave him a look that would've stopped anybody else the first time she'd used it on him.

"I bet it's the other way around," Naoko said as everyone looked at her. "I mean whenever a boy comes near Li-chan I bet Li-kun scares them away."

"I would never," Xiaolang said as he made a face that had guilty written all over it.

Looking at this made everyone laugh but it all stopped suddenly as Yamazaki-san walked in. He slowly looked around until he spotted Chiharu who was looking down for fear that he'd slap her face when he saw the hatred and disgust she felt towards him.

"Hurry up and set the tables," he commanded and turned to walk out of the room until he heard a voice.

"Dog."

"What did you say!?!" he yelled facing Chiharu who looked up with a looked of pure innocence which soon turned to anger, but before she could say anything Takashi stood up.

"I said you're a dog."

"How dare you talk to me like that!"

"What, because you're the king? Well, what kind of king spends all his life bossing around people who aren't as powerful as him including his own wife."

"Don't bring her into this! She left of her own free will!"

"Honto ne?" he asked in a mocking tone. "Well I thought she left because she was afraid a jerk like you would kill her and the only person in this cursed castle that really paid attention to her!"

"If that is the reason, than why didn't she take that person with her, Hmm?" Yamazaki-san said with a grin that made it suddenly feel chilly. "Think about that before you bring her up again."

As Yamazaki-san began to leave for the second time Takashi said in a low but understandable voice, "She didn't take me because nobody, not even okaasan herself has more henchmen than the king and with all those bakas on his side there was no way she would get out with me dead or alive."

Yamazaki-san turned around and stared at Takashi with a fury no one in the room but Takashi had every seen before. He then turned around and stomped out of the room

Chiharu stood there dumbfounded. That was the biggest argument Takashi and Yamazaki-san had ever gotten into. To think it was all because of one little comment she had said.

"Yamazaki-kun," she started, head down, "Arigatou gozaimasu. That's the second time you've stood up for me in front of Yamazaki-san today."

"It's nothing," he said nonchalantly, "It's always my pleasure to teach him a lesson or two."

The girls quickly served the lunches, first to the ladies and then to Yamazaki-san and a few of the lords. When they were finished Chiharu motioned for Takashi, who decided to skip lunch, to follow her outside.

They walked through the field until they got to the tree they'd been at earlier that day. Chiharu was the first to plop down on the soft grass and relax under the shade. Takashi slowly knelt down by her making sure not to get to close.

"I love beautiful scenes like this," Chiharu said readjusting her position so she'd be comfortable in her skirt.

"Um...me too."

Getting closer to him Chiharu smiled, "You seem nervous around me, Yamazaki-kun. I don't like it when you're like that."

Takashi looked down sheepishly. By this time his face had already turned a deep red.

Chiharu laughed as she reached in her pocket and pulled out a red apple, "You didn't eat lunch, so here's an apple," she threw it at him. "A red apple for a red face."

He once again looked down but this time his head came up quicker as he replied, "But what about you, I've never seen a pink apple, so what are we going to feed you for your pink face."

"Very, funny, Yamazaki-kun, but now let's talk about what I've been meaning to tell you all day."

"Which is?"

"Well, this morning...you told me to listen to my heart, ne?"

"Hai."

"Well, I thought about it and I finally opened up to my heart and..."

Before she could utter the last part of her sentence Meiling came rushing towards them. "Takashi, you'd better go inside. Over the last few minutes Yamazaki-san has gained more of an attitude than before."

Takashi stood up slightly pleased to leave this nerve-wrecking situation, "We'll continue are talk later, Mihara-chan."

Chiharu nodded and looked away hastily. Every time she'd tried to tell him about her feelings she'd been interrupted. Why did this always happen to her?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Man, I wish Kibi-sensei would just be quiet," Chiharu said laying her head on her left hand. "She keeps waking me up."

"I know, I know," Takashi stated from the other side of their table. "But did you know that back in ancient Egypt when people talked a lot it meant they'd have a short life on Earth but live a long, abundant after-life."

Yawning, Chiharu said, "How can you come up these things and claim to be _so_ sleepy."

"It's inherited, like Kibi-sensei said."

"Nan?"

"Kibi-sensei's been talking about DNA and genes and how we inherit our parents' genes and all that stuff and I know I inherited my wisdom."

"Honto ne?"

"Hai, I inherited my wisdom from my okaasan. Everything she knew I could comprehend at that age she told me, leading to my surplus knowledge today."

"You mean your surplus lack of knowledge."

Kibi-sensei went on and on talking about genes and DNA and chromosomes and a bunch of other stuff Takashi and Chiharu didn't hear because they were to busy trying to get the little bit of sleep they could. As the class drove on Chiharu's head started throbbing.

"You okay?" 

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a little headache."

"Are you sure," he asked in a concerned tone, "because in the old days when a shogun had a bad headache it was a sign of great health and so many a shogun tried to get headaches by pounding their heads against the temples, purposely falling, anything."

Chiharu shook her head at him, "I fell in love with the most bothersome, liar in the world."

"I'm not a liar," he replied with a tone that noted that he felt insulted.

"Yeah whatever," she said laying her head down on her books, "now let me get the little bit of sleep I'll be able to get in this class."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the two neared the castle Meiling pulled Takashi over to a secret door in the back. 

"I thought we were going to talk to Yamazaki-san?"

"I lied," Meiling said hurriedly, "but I needed to talk to you…about Chiharu."

Takashi looked away stubbornly, but soon put his head down in shame. He looked up at Meiling and sighed as he said, "I don't if she likes me, or hates me, or if she just wants to be friends or what? She's just so hard to understand especially since I told her."

"You told her! When?"

"This morning," he said casually.

"Oh my gosh! Why didn't you tell me earlier? Man I hate it when you guys do this!! Hurry up and go back there."

"But what will I tell her?"

"Make up something, you're good at it."

"Meiling, wait," but she had already turned to go into the house. "Man," he thought to himself, "why is life so hard these days." 

He slowly walked back the tree partly hoping that Chiharu had left, partly hoping she was still there. As he thought about his situation more and more he started to smile. It seemed very funny to him that a girl could totally change to course of his life, then again, his okaasan told him that girls did that.

As he neared the tree he could here Chiharu singing a song:

__

**haruka na hoshizora ni yume wa mada miemasu ka?

osanai ano hi yori azayaka desu ka? 

mune ni afurete tsunoru omoi

nemuri wasurete jounetsu no iro

tatoe tookute mo kitto tadoritsukeru tsuyoku shinjite'ta

ano hi no watashi ga ima mo kokoro de nemutte-iru 

GARASU no bara yori mo hakanakute moroi no ni

yume miru koto wa naze sadame na no deshou 

futatsu no yume ga ai ni natte

ai ni narenai koto mo atte

hito wa hitori da to wakariaitai no ni nante muzukashii

kotoba wa muryoku de toki ni wa gin no NAIFU ni naru

hito wa hitori da to wakariaitai no ni nante muzukashii

kotoba wa muryoku de toki ni wa gin no NAIFU ni...

tatoe tookute mo kitto tadoritsukeru tsuyoku shinjite'ta

ano hi no watashi ga ima mo kokoro de nemutte-iru

Chiharu casually leaned against the tree after she finished the song. Just then she noticed Takashi standing a few inches away.

"You weren't supposed to hear that," she said blushing.

"Doshite, you sang good?" he sat down next to her. "But where did you learn that song?"

"Scarlet? I learned it from my okaasan. When she was sad or I was sad she would sing this song and even though it is sad it always made us feel somewhat better, why?"

"Because when I was little and Yamazaki-san got upset at me or my okaasan or our old nurse, okaasan used to sing that song. She sang it so much that I memorized it."

Chiharu laughed, "What a coincident. Our okaasan's must've thought a like."

Takashi smiled, he loved seeing her smile. He just wished that there was away to make himself the reason why she smiled. He sighed and looked down at the ground.

"Yamazaki…Takashi," Chiharu said slowly, "lovable…caring…and true…true to his heart."

Takashi looked up at her. He really wasn't sure where this was going.

"Kind…compassionate…entertaining…somewhat humble…handsome."

"Chiha-" before he could finish his sentence Chiharu grabbed his hand and kissed him.

It lasted for a few minutes but once again to both of them it seemed like an eternity to both of them. Chiharu let out a sigh of relief, she'd never felt so relaxed before. 

"Mihara-chan," Takashi started as he tried to think of something to say to her without messing anything up.

"That's Chiharu-chan to you, Takashi-kun," she said with a more than evident smile.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/n: Chpt. 4 is finally done, what a sweet ending. I was going to add some other stuff to the ending but I decided that putting that stuff in Chpt. 5 would be okay. My reason for taking so long on this chapter is that my computer has been messing up for the past month and a half and it's so annoying. I mean it skips around on Word and it can't find like a million files and you have to reboot it like 3 times every hour. Oh yeah and what did you think about me adding Scarlet in their I did it because I'm about to start on a verge of loving songs in fanfics and Pita Ten. This is because on my favorite Korean channel, Tooniverse, they play Pita Ten and Full Moon wo Sagashite because of Full Moon wo Sagashite I'm starting to want more music in fanfics and I chose Scarlet because I've heard the song a lot and the words really go with how Chiharu felt before she told Takashi. Also, because it was translated on animelyrics.com. Thank ya for reading my story when you didn't have to.

Love ya, SHA

And here is the translation of the song that I got from animelyrics.com as promised:

**Can you still see your dreams in the distant, starry sky?

Are they more vivid than they were when you were little?

When one forgets to put the emotions that overflow in her heart

to rest, they burn the color of passion.

I used to believe without a doubt that I could reach my dreams, no matter how far off they were.

Dreams are more fragile and fleeting than a glass rose,

so then why are we destined to dream?

Sometimes two dreams can turn into love,

but there are also times when they can't.

Even when they're alone, people want to share their feelings, but it can be so hard.

Words are powerless to express one's feelings, and sometimes they become a silver knife.

Even when they're alone, people want to share their feelings, but it can be so hard.

Words are powerless to express one's feelings, and sometimes they become a silver knife.

I used to believe without a doubt that I could reach my dreams, no matter how far off they were.

But that me from long ago now sleeps inside my heart.


	6. Thoughts, feelings and everyday life

**Dreams**

**_Chapter 5_**

**_"Thoughts, problems, and everyday life"_**

Chiharu, Naoko and Rika sat in front of their cabin enjoying the spectacular view and chatting. It was a sunny June day and they were loving it. Especially since it was a weekend.

On weekends the girls had little to no work because Yamazaki-san was barely around, but if he was, he'd be hiding in his room most likely. This was great for them because not only did they have less work, they had less problems hiding Chiharu and Takashi's relationship.

"You know something," Chiharu stated, "I think I actually miss Meiling-chan a little bit."

"Well I actually can't wait until she comes back," Naoko said with a big smile.

They laughed. Meiling and Xiaolang had left about 2 ½ weeks ago with a promise from Meiling that she'd return to check up on Takashi and Chiharu's relationship and to set Naoko up with one of her friends. Of course, Xiaolang just shook his head and nonchalantly stated that once you've lived with Meiling forever you get used to her.

Suddenly Rika's expression went from happy to very serious, then she said, "So wait, that means Mihara-chan gets a prince, Yanagisawa-chan gets a princess' friend who's probably a duke, but what does Sasaki-chan get!"

With a smirk Chiharu said, "Sasaki-chan gets the knight that's always flirting with her."

Rika blushed, "He doesn't flirt and besides, he's way older than me."

Naoko sighed, "My dear Sasaki-chan, you've been "blinded by love". Can't you see his many attempts to make you happy. Even ask Mihara-chan, she's an expert about being "blinded by love"."

Chiharu glowered at Naoko but said, "Yanagisawa-chan's right(except for her last comment), and age shouldn't stop your feelings, nothing should. Trust me."

Naoko turned to Chiharu, "What do you mean by 'except for that last comment'. That comment was very accurate."

Chiharu glowered at her again, "No it was not. I wasn't 'blinded by love'."

"Hello, don't tell me you've forgotten what I told you the 1st day you slid down the banister."

"What about it? When you told me that you had no evidence to back it up!"

"Yes I did! I've known Yamazaki-kun since he was 2, I've lived here since he was 3 and in all of our years as friends I can tell you that none of those things happened to us and they wouldn't unless Takashi planned it."

The verbal argument carried on a few more minutes but the argument was still continued in the form of a staring contest between the two girls. As they were "arguing" Takashi walked over scratching his half dry hair.

"Sasaki-chan, what are they doing?"

"Arguing?"

"Oh…I'm slightly afraid to ask this but, over what?"

"Whether Mihara-chan was "blinded by love" before you guys started going out."

"I see," he said looking slightly confused but deciding to watch.

After a few minutes Takashi asked, "How long until this finishes?"

"Until one of them starts laughing."

"Aah," he said nodding his head with a mischievous smile.

Just then Chiharu burst out laughing for apparently no reason at all.

"Cheater!" she yelled.

"Nan? Just because you lost doesn't mean that you have to call me a cheater," Naoko said obviously offended.

"I wasn't talking about you, I was talking about Takashi-kun," Chiharu stated turning around to fuss at the now whistling Takashi. "He tickled me knowing I'd laugh to make me lose!"

"Nah-Ah," he said smiling as Naoko and Chiharu both stuck their tongues out at him.

Rika just laughed at the 3 as another "argument" ensued, only this time it was over who could keep sticking their tongue out the longest. Living here Rika had seen some of the weirdest ways of arguing ever, from who could tickle the hardest, and who could laugh the longest, there were so many that she couldn't count.

Of course, she didn't participate in most of these, but she felt it was safer to watch. As Rika thought about this a tie between Chiharu and Naoko was announced.

"That's not fair," Takashi said, "Chiharu cheated!"

"I did not!"

"You did too!"

"I did not!"

Rika and Naoko just laughed as Takashi and Chiharu continued their argument. Weekends were the best!

After lunch Takashi and Chiharu decided to take a walk out by the forest. They did this almost every weekend. It was their "alone" time.

Takashi put his arm around Chiharu as she rested her head on his shoulder. He looked up at the sky as he sighed and turned so he was facing Chiharu.

"What's wrong?" she asked a little scared of what he was going to say.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold chain. Chiharu stared in awe as he produced a gold heart locket. If the locket wasn't already beautiful in itself engraved on it was 'Y heart M' going diagonal one way and the other way was 'T heart C'. In the middle it said 'I luv u…'and on the back it said 4ever.

"Here," he said looking down at the ground as he handed Chiharu the locket. She opened it and revealed a portrait of Takashi on one side and of the whole group on the other.

"I…Um…hope you like it."

"Like it, I love it," she said gleefully as she wrapped her arms around Takashi. Then she looked down sadly.

"What is it?" he asked worried.

"I wanted to wear it all the time, but I can't because then Yamazaki-san will find out and who knows what he would do to you…to us."

Takashi sighed, "You're right, but you can keep it with you while you're working and at night you can put it in your drawer or in your suitcase. Nobody would ever find it there."

Chiharu smiled and put her hand on Takashi cheek, "Don't worry it'll be fine, Takashi-kun. Not even Yamazaki-san can tear us apart."

Takashi grabbed Chiharu's hand and said, "You know something we haven't done today?"

"Hmm?"

He leaned in and kissed her.

"Mihara-chan, wake-up."

Chiharu yawned and turned her head.

"Mihara Chiharu, get up," Takashi insisted poking her a bit.

"Three more minutes," she mumbled once again shifting positions.

"Chiharu-chan, come on!" Takashi whispered loudly, this time slightly pushing her.

Chiharu woke up with a shock, which, with the help of Takashi's push, lead to her falling out of her chair.

"Chiharu!" Takashi said sliding out of his chair and catching her.

The whole class stared at them as they quickly got back in their seats. They both looked down at their books immediately.

"Is there a problem you two?" Kibi-sensei asked.

"Iie, sensei," they answered as the bell rang.

"Okay, class, remember to read all of the next chapter and to finish your study guide. You're dismissed."

Takashi and Chiharu collected their books and hurriedly walked out of the door. They immediately went to their lockers where they both sighed and then turned to each other.

"That was your fault you know," she said nonchalantly to Takashi as she put her science book in her locker.

"No it wasn't. I just tapped you, you're the one who didn't keep your balance."

"Oh good one 'you didn't keep your balance.' I was asleep for goodness sake."

"Somehow I knew you'd say something like that. The Europeans say that people who sleep like logs often blame other people for things."

Chiharu scoffed, "I can't believe you, you say it's my fault and then you bring one of your stupid lies into this."

"It is your fault and it's not a lie."

"Whatever you say, Yamazaki-kun," Chiharu said as she shut her locker and walked off.

Takashi sighed, shut his locker and followed Chiharu. Man, why were girls so difficult?

"Chiharu, wait," he said following close behind her.

"Doshite? There's nothing I have to say to you…at the moment."

Takashi smirked, the last part indicated that she was warming up to him, "Come on, Chiharu."

Chiharu turned around, glanced at Takashi and then kept walking.

"Chiharu," he said again this time grabbing her arm.

"Let me go," she said angrily.

"I just want to know what's wrong," he said looking into her eyes.

She stared at him as he gradually let go of her arm. No sooner then he had done this Chiharu put her hand on her head, closed her eyes and tripped backwards.

Takashi quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her forward. He pulled a little harder than he thought he had and Chiharu ended up bumping right into him. She rested her head on his shoulder as she let out a huge sigh.

She looked into his eyes. Somehow just from looking at his eyes she always knew what he was feeling. She sighed again, she hated making him worry.

"I'll be fine, Takashi. I'm just tired and my dad's been on my case a lot lately and then it's the…well…you know what I mean."

Takashi looked away, "Uh…Yeah."

He was about to say something but couldn't think of anything. It was like his mind just went blank. As they had gotten older Takashi recalled more situations like this.

They weren't that much different than when they were younger. Well at least he didn't think so. Maybe it was just the way that the world turned.

He reassuringly put his hand on Chiharu's shoulder, "You know what, I think I know something that will make my oujasama happy."

"Nan?" Chiharu said shifting her weight.

"This," and he kissed her.

It must of last for less than a minute but it made Chiharu feel a lot better than she had all day. No matter how annoyed she got at him, Takashi always knew how to cheer her up.

"You sure know how to read my mind, Takashi," Chiharu said giggling.

"The ancient Polynesian's said that people who were really in love often developed telepathy."

"Honto ne?" Chiharu said sitting down at her desk.

"Hai, and they also said that telepathy starts from the heart and not the mind."

"I think you're actually on to something there," She said smiling as Ukiyo-sensei walked into the room.

"This isn't fair," Naoko grunted as she hurriedly stirred a bowl in her hand.

Chiharu nodded her head, "I know, this better be pretty darn important to make us cook such a big meal."

"And on a weekend at that," Rika added.

All of the servants were slightly upset because at the last minute Yamazaki-san had decided to have a humungous dinner so that he could announce something very important. It was so important that even the servants were to be in the room when he gave the announcement.

"I hope he's dying or something like that."

"Mihara-chan, that's mean," Rika said slightly shocked, "and besides, if Yamazaki-san got sick my okaasan would have to take care of him. You wouldn't want to put that burden on her."

Chiharu said, "You're right. No one should be subject to taking care of that terror."

Naoko smiled, "We just better be glad that we're Yamazaki-kun's personal helpers and not Yamazaki-san's."

Rika and Chiharu looked at each other and then nodded. It was scary to think of what would've become of them if they were working directly for Yamazaki-san instead of Takashi. How would they've survived?

"Are you wenches done with the appetizers yet?" Yamazaki-san said from the doorway.

As Rika made sure that Chiharu didn't say anything…bluntly truthful, Naoko sighed and replied, "One more, Yamazaki-sama. It'll be done in a few minutes."

"Well hurry it up already," he grunted turning towards the stairs. "Yamazaki Takashi get your butt down here now!"

"I've been trying to do that for the past hour," Takashi said hastily coming down the stairs, "but it's kind of impossible when you have a billion knights in front of your door and your window!"

When the girls saw him they almost dropped the bowls and plates out of their hands. For Naoko and Rika it had been years since they'd seen Takashi so dressed up. For Chiharu it was a first.

He was wearing a long red button-up shirt with two sides of gold buttons and a design on the right side with the emblem of Yamazaki-san's kingdom. He was wearing black pants and black polished boots with brownish-gold laces. He had white cuffs on and his hair was slicked down giving him a more mature look to him. He was also wearing his leather sword belt with his favorite court-sword at his side.

"Just be happy I let you out before it actually started," Yamazaki-san said with anger in his tone. "The last time I had one of these things you ran off and I had to delay the whole thing!"

"The last time you had one of these I was 13 and had been forced to do I don't know how many things I didn't want to do(including talk to that dumb girl). Besides if you'd sent the right people looking for me you would've found me easily."

Yamazaki-san glared at Takashi. He was a smart-mouth just like his mother. "Sasaki-chan."

"Hai, Yamazaki-san," Rika said a little worried.

"I'm making you responsible for Takashi-oujisama until dinner. If he runs away or does anything stupid you, him, and your okaasan are all going to pay severely. You understand me, wench?!?"

"Hai, Yamazaki-san," she said louder than she'd wanted to as she tried to fight back tears.

"Now stay here, gaki."

Takashi just stared angrily at Yamazaki-san. He always treated people like they were nothing even though the truth was he was the nothing.

Takashi walked over to Rika, "Are you okay?"

Quickly wiping away her tears Rika looked up and said, "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just I don't like being yelled at, that's all."

"I don't think anybody does," Chiharu said reassuringly.

"Yeah, nobody does," Takashi said sharing a glance with Rika. Being the prince had some benefits, some downfalls, and some in between points. One of the in between points was the fact that every servant that came and left had a reason for both and he knew them all.

For instance Melina had been married off because she was flirtatious and Yamazaki-san was afraid that she would get pregnant and not be able to work for him. It's kind of strange though, considering that in the end because of him she got pregnant.

Naoko had come there because her okaasan was Takashi's okaasan's friend, so when Naoko's otousan had lost his job Takashi's okaasan let Naoko's okaasan have a part time job watching Takashi. A year later Naoko's otousan became very ill and died so Takashi's okaasan gave Naoko's mom a full time job there, also providing room for them to sleep.

As time dragged on Naoko steadily learned how to do her okaasan's job. Though she was young she still excelled in it. About 4 yrs. After Takashi's okaasan left Yamazaki-san fired Naoko's okaasan but kept Naoko. Naoko was heart broken and know never talked about her okaasan.

Chiharu had been selected because unknown to her, her okaasan and Takashi's okaasan had been good friends. Before Chiharu or Takashi were born Takashi's okaasan promised that her and Yamazaki-san would do anything Chiharu's okaasan needed in time of trouble. They even signed a contract.

When Chiharu was out looking for a job one of the soldiers recognized her name and immediately told Yamazaki-san. He hired her on the spot knowing that if her okaasan found out he hadn't helped her that he'd be sued.

Last but not least was poor Rika. Her story was the worst of all. Her family had gone broke several years earlier, when she was about 3. The best job they could find was working for a rich lord not to far from the castle.

He was one of the cruelest human beings(if you could even call him that) alive. You make the simplest mistakes he'd yell at you or worse beat you. Daily Rika watched as people were brutally beaten and raped all by that man. She said nothing until one day as Rika helped her mother by taking out the trash she saw her father murdered by this man. She was only 4 at the time and so had no clue what to do.

Eventually she ended up telling a very compassionate woman she met on the road who just happened to be Takashi's okaasan. With all the power and authority she had Takashi's okaasan sued the Lord and ended up taking Rika and her okaasan into her own home. This, unfortunately, was a few months before Takashi's okaasan left for good.

Takashi sighed. He knew way too much about way to many people yet he couldn't even help most of them. He mentally cursed at himself for being so useless.

"Takashi," Chiharu said waving her hand in front of his face. "Takashi-kun, you were spacing out again."

Takashi quickly came back to reality, "In most western civilizations they believe that when you space-out you are traveling into an alternate universe."

"Honto ne?" Naoko said taking a pan of the stove.

"Hai and they also say that people who space out repeatedly have a higher intelligence level."

"But what does their intelligence level have to do with them traveling into an alternate universe?" Rika asked her eyes completely dry now.

"Well, the aliens from the alternate reality are searching for life-forms with higher intelligence levels to educate their civilization, so they take the ones who they believe have potential to their universe regularly."

"Oh my gosh, Takashi-kun," Chiharu said scoffing at him. "Where do these lies come from? Your brain really can't be big enough to fit all that."

"Are you implying that my brain's small."

"You said it not me," Chiharu said as she turned back to her work.

Takashi almost said something but lost his train of thought when Yamazaki-san came in again. This time looking a little more annoyed.

"Hurry up with those appetizers!"

"There done and waiting for your command, Yamazaki-sama," Naoko said.

"Wait about 10 minutes and then bring them," he answered then turning to Takashi, "You've got your court-sword right?"

"Nah, this thing in my belt is just an accessory I picked up from the nearest merchant."

"Cut the smart act and prepare yourself, you already have a few challenges in line for you."

Takashi let out a huge sigh. "Now come-on, you've got some very rich ladies waiting for you."

Takashi and Chiharu shared a glance out of the corner of their eyes as Takashi said, "I'll be there in a second, just wait."

"Fine but hurry it up!" Yamazaki-san said turning away with a loud swoosh.

Chiharu went over to Takashi and totally ignoring Yamazaki-san's comment about ladies said, "You seem less than excited about your spars. You're usually so thrilled."

"Well, that's because usually my opponent's are worthwhile. The guys who Yamazaki-san makes me fight are either stuck up duke's and squire's who think if they know a few tricks they'll impress the ladies, and the other bunch are old lord's who've never won a true spar a day in their life and don't really care if they win or not because if they do know how to spar they won't spar because they believe that letting me win will give me pleasure though it truly doesn't."

"Whoa," Chiharu said astonished, "Talk about a big answer for a small question."

"Well better go before Yamazaki-san makes another appearance in here," Takashi slowly got up to leave but as he reached the doorway he stopped, turned to Chiharu and said, "Don't worry about me and those ladies, it's a known fact that most of them aren't good kissers."

Chiharu blushed as Takashi walked out of the room with what he believed to be his last smile of the night on his face.

"I hate this class," Chiharu grumbled to Takashi. She didn't understand why all 9th graders had to take health class. They didn't learn much in the class anyways, especially not with Ukiyo-sensei for a teacher.

Somehow he always found away to put "teen intercourse" into his topics. One day, the whole class remembered, they went from talking about hypothermia to talking about sex. Another time, they recalled every 5 words Ukiyo-sensei said being intercourse.

Chiharu just couldn't understand why the school decided that since they're going to high school next year they're probably going to have sex. I mean, her and Takashi had been going out for years and he hadn't tried anything. Same for Sakura and Syaoran.

If Ukiyo-sensei wasn't bad enough he always had to spend like 25-50 percent of the class talking about something stupid. His class was the hardest to get to sleep in without getting caught.

Takashi rolled his eyes as Ukiyo-sensei said something mumbled. He thought he said something about AIDS or maids or something like that. Man, this class was so boring why couldn't he just let them go to sleep.

"And guess what class," Ukiyo-sensei said enthusiastically, meaning trouble, "Today we're going to watch a video about what really goes on when you have sexual intercourse and the consequences of teen sex."

The room was filled with groaning. Everyone hated these videos. They were so boring.

With a smile Takashi said, "This is actually a good thing, believe it or not. If we're watching a movie Ukiyo-sensei won't be able to tell if we're asleep or not."

"Good thinking," Chiharu answered, "you just might be helpful yet."

The room was silent except for the ruffles of clothing, shifting of positions and the reoccurring sound of silverware hitting silverware. Everybody was intently listening to whatever it was that Yamazaki-san had to say.

"I have gathered you all here to announce my departure from the kingdom tomorrow," he paused as gasps were heard throughout the room, "but fear not, for I will return in a weeks time. Until I return I'm am leaving my highest ranking lord, Edogawa-san in charge of the kingdom with the kingdoms highest ranking knight, Terada-san as second in command and Takashi-oujisama surveying."

Takashi and all the servants looked horrified. If Yamazaki-san were the devil Edogawa-san would be his twin brother. Edogawa-san was the bark, and Yamazaki-san was the bite. Neither was worse than the other, they were just evil in different ways.

The servants all had down-cast looks on their faces as they blocked out the rest of the announcement. They knew it wouldn't concern them, it probably about some stupid race or something like that.

"This'll be the worst week of our lives," Takashi mouthed to Rika, Chiharu, and Naoko.

They all nodded in agreement. Just from watching him they knew that he meant trouble. This was horrid.

A/N: I am so sorry about this chapter taking so long but my computer kept messing up and then I had to transfer the file to a different computer and then I tried to fit this another part in the story while I've been moving and so I was typing that but I looked at how long it was and I decided to cut it in half and put the other half in the 6th or 7th chapters. Then I've had all these ideas for other stories that I've been trying to type and I've had so much writers block and basically I'm just really sorry for taking so long and I'm really grateful to you people for still reading.

Back to the story so yeah some couple issues early on, eh? I don't really know why I added it, maybe it was because I wanted to add the kiss part because I typed that part after watching an episode on the O.C. where Ryan says something like that to Marissa(I was in Korea when I first started typing this so our channels didn't play the O.C. until the season was already over I think???) Anyway, I know it's not really telling a lot of stuff but what it did say will come up in the future. Including their health teachers lesson

Please R/R and once again I'm sorry,

spacehikariangel

Oh and if you didn't get what Chiharu meant by "it's the…well…you know what I mean," answer this one question: what comes after a sentence?


	7. Major Problems Part I: Edogawasan

_Dreams_

_Chapter 6_

_"Major Problems Part I: Edogawa-san" _

The three girls sighed as they all plopped into chairs. If Yamazaki-san made them cook big meals, then humungous was the word for the breakfast they had been forced to fix Edogawa-san. He'd even woken them up at 3:00a.m.

"I never thought it'd be this terrible," Rika said wiping sweat off her forehead.

"I didn't either," Naoko and Chiharu said simultaneously.

"It's because he gets up really early and the only person who ever got up early in this household was my okaasan. But she had the decency to let everybody else sleep," Takashi said from the doorway.

"How'd you get out?" Chiharu asked.

"He might be first in command but I'm still the oujisama and this is still technically my kingdom. If something happens to Yamazaki-san on his trip Edogawa-san wouldn't become king, he'd become my adviser, so technically, he's in charge, but I'm still higher ranking than him."

"So you're saying you just said you were leaving and he let you?"

"Hai. Being me does have some advantages."

The girls all sighed, Takashi was lucky to be able to out rank Edogawa-san. If only there was some loop-hole for them, too. Unfortunately, they couldn't think of one.

"I wish I had advantages like that," Rika said as she straightened her apron.

"Technically all of you do because if Edogawa-san does anything to you I can stop him with my authority."

"Arigatou gozaimasu," the girls said extremely grateful to Takashi for doing such a kind deed for them.

"It's nothing, I mean, what wouldn't I give for my three leading ladies," Takashi said with a flattering smile.

"It's wrong to flirt with your girlfriend and her friends at the same time," Naoko stated as all 3 of the girls burst out laughing.

Maybe this week wouldn't be as bad as they thought it would be. I mean, they still had each other.

"Takashi, is class over yet?" Chiharu asked as she leaned on his shoulder.

"Iie, we have a good 30 minutes left," he replied shifting his position so as to make Chiharu more comfortable.

"Man, 30 minutes, when will this ever end?"

"When the fat lady sings."

Chiharu glared at Takashi as he smiled down at her, "There are some people you just can't hate, but you're not one of them."

"Honto ne? How could anybody hate me?"

"Easily."

"Is something wrong ,Yamazaki-san, Mihara-san?" Ukiyo-sensei asked.

"Iie, sensei, I was just asking Yamazaki-kun if he'd seen my pencil. I dropped it."

"Here it is,"Takashi said right on cue.

"Well I'm enthused that you found it, but please be quiet for the rest of the movie."

"Hai, sensei," they simultaneously replied while looking at each other out of the corner of their eyes.

"Good call," Takashi whispered to her after Ukiyo-sensei turned around.

"I learned from the best," she replied as she rested her head on his shoulder.

Chiharu, Naoko and Rika sat down in the kitchen dozing off. They had never been so sleepy in their lives. It was only Wednesday, yet with Edogawa-san there it felt like eternity.

"Get up you filthy wenches!" Edogawa-san yelled from the doorway.

"Hai, Edogawa-san!" All three girls said as they jumped out of their chairs, sleep still in their eyes.

"If I catch you dozing off again I will make sure you lose more than just sleep, you hear me!?!"

"Hai, Edogawa-san!" They replied bowing their heads in respect.

"Good, now is lunch ready?"

"Hai, Edogawa-san."

"Well what are you standing there for, get moving!"

"Hai, Edogawa-san," the girls said as they hurriedly took the plates into the lunch room.

"I hate his guts," Chiharu whispered as she set a plate on the table.

"So does everyone in this kingdom," Naoko replied placing a pitcher in the center of the table.

"No talking, wenches!"

"Hai, Edogawa-san," the girls replied with looks of pure annoyance.

Once they were finished they hurried outside to Chiharu and Naoko's cabin before Edogawa-san could come up with something else for them to do. He was always over-working people. It was as if he thought they were labor animals.

"I can't believe him!" Chiharu yelled plopping down on her bed.

"I know," Naoko said as she dug through her suitcase. "Yamazaki-san only calls us wenches every once in a while, but not every other second."

"He yells way too much," Rika said with a slight trace of fear in her eyes, "and we never get any sleep."

"He thinks we have nothing else to do but what he tells us too," Takashi said from the doorway.

"When'd you get back?" Chiharu asked. Takashi had been forced to go spend the morning and lunch with one of the rich girls from the feast. Yamazaki-san's orders.

"Just now. Makino-chan told me you were in here."

"So did you have any fun on your little "date"?" Naoko asked with that mischievous look in her eyes.

"None, whatsoever," Takashi said sitting down next to Chiharu. "I've met annoying, preppy girls before, but this was the worst. She talked on and on about stupid stuff like her hair, and her "new" dress. There was no end!"

"Poor thing," Chiharu said laying her head on his shoulder.

"Oh, and at lunch she tried to feed me, like I was some baby or something."

"Honto ne?" Chiharu asked looking up at him, a hint of anger in her voice.

"And the last and worst thing she did was trying to kiss me when I left."

"Nan?" Chiharu said standing up. "That flirtatious little rich snob tried to kiss you?"

"Is someone jealous?" Naoko asked sarcastically.

"Of course not. It's just that trying to do that seems"-"Indecent?" Rika asked.

"Hai, indecent," Chiharu said with a smile of gratitude towards Rika.

"Whatever, Mihara-chan, whatever," Naoko replied as the group started laughing.

"Here you wenches are!" Edogawa-san said coming towards them. "Who said you could take a break!?!"

"I did," Takashi said standing up boldly. "I don't know how you do things in your dwelling, but here everyone gets a break and if I'm correct these ladies haven't had a decent break all day."

"You are correct, Yamazaki-oujisama, but there is still much work to be done," Edogawa-san replied lowering his tone.

"There's no more work for these ladies to do. They have done all that's required of them: wake me up, cook breakfast and lunch, wash clothes and dishes, and keep track of me."

"Hai, Yamazaki-oujisama, but"-"No buts, Edogawa-san. These 3 ladies are to be on break until it is time to cook dinner, understood?"

"Hai, Yamazaki-oujisama," Edogawa-san said sheepishly as he walked out of the door.

"Oh my gosh, Yamazaki-kun, you were just wonderful!" Rika said in awe.

"Sasaki-chan's right. I could never be that bold to Edogawa-san even if I was royalty."

"Me neither," Chiharu agreed.

"It's nothing, I mean, all I have to do is remember what the Native American's remember."

"Oh no," the girls said in unison, knowing what was coming.

"If I concentrate on his evilness the great shoe warrior will destroy him with his mighty boot!"

The girls sighed and shook their heads. They should've expected it from the beginning.

"Nan," Takashi said with a confused look, "You don't believe me? It's all in the ancient book of the shoe that's located in England."

"Takashi-kun."

"Seriously, they store it in a safe right next to the brain of the great singing scepter of the queen of Polish."

"You mean Poland?"

"No, Polish, the country on the other side of Poland where they grow shoe polish and use sharp nails as weapons of mass destruction."

"Yamazaki-kun," Naoko said.

"Hai, Yanagisawa-san?"

"URUSAI!" she said throwing a pillow at him.

"Help me, I've been injured," Takashi said slowly falling off the bed.

"Oh, we'll show you injured," Chiharu said as the girls ganged up on him for an all out pillow/tickle fight.

"Is dinner done yet?"

"Iie, Edogawa-san," Rika replied from the stove.

"If you were working for me I would surely have fired you by now!"

"Gomen nasai, Edogawa-san," the girls said in unison as they froze.

"I should definitely tell Yamazaki-sama about this inconvenience."

"Gomen nasai, Edogawa-san."

"Stop standing there and get to work!" Takashi yelled coming through the door with a big smile on his face.

"Yamazaki-kun, that was a terrible trick!" Naoko said about to hit him with her spoon.

"You nearly scared us to death!" Rika said letting out a huge sigh.

"I can't believe you!"

"Gomen, girls, but I couldn't help it. The aliens made me do it."

"Well, the aliens will be sorry to hear what happened to you when we're through," the girls said with their evilest laughs.

"Iie!" Takashi said as he ducked behind the counter.

"We see you," the girls said ganging up on him.

"Help me!"

"What's going on here?" Edogawa-san said from the hall.

"I was just looking for my dagger," Takashi said as he pretended to be searching on the ground.

"Hai, and we're helping him," the girls said searching around the kitchen.

"I see, well hurry-up and find it so you can finish dinner!"

"Hai, Edogawa-san."

"I'm glad he's gone," Takashi said standing up and handing Chiharu her bowl.

"Me too, he's so aggravating," Naoko said placing a pan in the oven.

"I have a mind to poison his food," Chiharu said with devilish smirk.

"Mihara-chan!" Rika said, "If you did that you might kill Yamazaki-kun, too."

"That's true. Maybe, I could bring him some wine and poison that!"

"And you'd get this poison from..."

"The old lady in the village. She has every poison every created."

"You're so menacing, Chiharu-chan."

"I know," she said with another smirk.

After dinner, Takashi and Chiharu met in Takashi's room to do some studying. Every Wednesday, Takashi gave the girls "school lessons" which included Math, Science, History, and Japanese. They all did pretty well in all their subjects, except Math.

Rika did okay in Math but Naoko needed help, and Chiharu…well let's just say that help's not even the word to describe what she needed. Takashi had offered to give them extra help, Naoko in the day and Chiharu at night. Unfortunately with Edogawa-san there the only way to get Chiharu's extra studying in was to do it late at night. Chiharu would've just skipped her lesson until Yamazaki-san got back, but Takashi had reassured her that not even Edogawa-san could stop her "learning experience."

"I still say this could've waited until next week," Chiharu yawned as she looked confusingly at the book.

"You just want to get out of it," he said with a small laugh. "You better be glad that you're learning from me instead of a real tutor."

"How much worse can a real tutor be than you," she said laying her head on the book.

"Much worse, just imagine doing all that studying everyday and then having the 3rd degree given to you about each subject. Did I mention that if you get a question wrong you get hit on your hands with a ruler?"

"Whoa, where do you get hit on the hands?"

"Wherever the tutor chooses. But it's better than being hit on the head if you start dozing off, daydreaming, or if you answer two questions incorrectly."

"Sounds brutal," Chiharu said with concern in her eyes, as she looked up in him.

"That's exactly what my okaasan said about tutors. If she had been here when I was 7 she would've stopped the whole tutor madness before it started," he said sitting on his bed.

Chiharu walked over to him, "I'm sure she would've stayed if she could've."

"I know, I know…but it doesn't make it any easier for me."

"Just think about it this way," Chiharu said walking over to the window, "Somewhere out there your okaasan is safe and sound just waiting for the day when she can save you from the terror that is Yamazaki-san"

Takashi smiled, walked over to the window, and put his arm around Chiharu's waist as he whispered, "You don't have to leave."

"Nan?" Chiharu said turning around to face him.

"You can sleep here tonight, I mean it's way too dark to let you go back now."

"Well…"

"I mean you'd probably wake up, Yanagisawa-chan."

"True."

"And you could take the bed and I'll take the floor, it's actually quite comfortable."

"No, I couldn't, what if Edogawa-san sees me," Chiharu said thinking of any and everything to get her out of this.

"I'll simply tell him that you were helping me with something and that if he has a problem with it he can take it to the King of the next kingdom because that's where he'll be going."

"Well, Yanagisawa-chan might worry about me when I don't come in or when I'm not there in the morning?"

"She'll understand."

Chiharu sat down on the bed and messed with her dress. What was she so worried about anyways? This was her boyfriend, she could trust him…but could she trust herself?"

"Chiharu-chan, if you don't want to you don't have to. I would never push you into doing something you don't want to do."

"No, it's not that, I just wouldn't forgive myself if you got in trouble, and I don'twant to makeYanagisawa-chan to worry, especially not now."

"So, I'll see you tomorrow."

"I never said I wouldn't stay; I just said that I had some reasons to go," she slowly walked over to him and put her hand on his cheek, "but I have reasons to stay, too."

They continued their lesson for a few more minutes and then decided to hit the sack. By now it had to be around midnight and they both were pooped.

"Takashi-kun," Chiharu whispered in the stillness of the night.

"Hmm?"

"Do you ever wonder what it would be like to be…you know, normal?"

"Yeah, I do. I bet it would be a lot better then this."

"Me, too. Could you imagine living free from the rules of people like Yamazaki-san?"

"That would be so sweet! Unfortunately, if we're ever going to live a life like that we'll probably have to wait awhile."

"You're right," she sighed, "but I just wish that we could live like that right now. You, me, and all of our friends, living a happy, normal life."

"Well, as long as we're talking about that right now," he said sitting on the edge of the bed, "we do have something good going."

"Nan?"

"Us," he whispered grabbing her hand and kissing her.

"Sasaki-chan, good you're here," Naoko said rushing into the kitchen. "Have you seen, Mihara-chan? I'm pretty sure she didn't come in last night, and now, she's not here."

"Don't worry, Yanagisawa-chan, she's probably with Yamazaki-kun and is coming down in a sec."

"I sure hope so," Naoko said worriedly.

Almost 20 minutes had passed since Naoko had gotten to the kitchen and still no sign of Chiharu or Takashi. Naoko nervously paced with her bowl in hand, mumbling every few seconds.

"Yanagisawa Naoko, calm down!" Rika said though she was equally concerned. "Now, I'm sure that they're just fine. They're probably just moving very slowly this morning."

Naoko look at her with a face that said she wasn't buying any of Rika's word, "But what if she was attacked in the night and when Takashi tried to help her he became seriously wounded and now they're trying to get back here alive?"

"Yanagisawa-chan."

"Or what if they stumbled up on a poisonous plant and now are fighting for their lives out there?"

"And you say Yamazaki-kun is bad," Rika said setting a pot on the stove.

Just then Naoko gasped loudly making Rika turn around abruptly, "Oh no!"

"Nani?"

"Mihara-chan and Yamazaki-kun aren't here and it's been almost 30 minutes."

"I know."

"You don't understand, if they don't get here soon then...iie, iie, iie!"

"No what?"

"You know how Edogawa-san likes checking up on us during breakfast every other day. Well, today would be an other day so that means that if they don't show up soon we will have to cover for them and even with us covering Edogawa-san could tell Yamazaki-san that she was…was…"

"AWOL?"

"Hai and then Yamazaki-san will fire her and she'll be all alone."

"Yanagisawa-chan, nothing that bad is going to hap"- Rika froze as she heard boots hitting the ground and a deep cough.

"I told you, Sasaki-chan, I told you," Naoko said obviously panicking.

"What are we going to do? What are we going to say?" Rika said hurriedly as the footsteps got closer.

"Um…I got it! We'll tell him that she went upstairs to get Yamazaki-kun because he went back to sleep the first time she woke him up and that he's a very hard sleeper."

"That sounds good, but what if wants to go check?"

"Well…um…"-"You could (a) try and sidetrack him or (b) hope that a kind hearted soldier comes in at the right time," Terada-san said from the door way.

"Terada-san!" Rika said with a slight sigh of relief.

"You heard everything we said?" Naoko asked not fully trusting him.

"I heard enough to understand that you have no clue where your friend or Yamazaki-oujisama are and that you are going to try to hide it from Edogawa-san if he comes in."

"Sounds like you heard a lot, but will you tell?"

"Tell who, Edogawa-san? I wouldn't tell him anything even if my life depended on it."

"You sure aren't like the other soldiers," Naoko replied still suspicious of him.

"That's because he's not from here," Rika replied.

"Honto ne?"

"Hai, I am from a kingdom south of here, but I came here to raise money for my family."

"I see, but why did you choose this kingdom?"

"Here, my pay is so generous that not even the highest positions in other kingdoms come near it."

"I see, so you don't like Yamazaki-san that much?"

"I believe everyone has some good in them, but I think it'll be along time before he finds it."

Naoko confusingly looked a Rika and said, "So basically using a play of words he just said that Yamazaki-san is a very evil man who will probably be like that the rest of his life?"

"Don't mind Yanagisawa-chan," Rika said shaking her head, "she's a bit overprotective of her friends."

"I am not."

"I'm not arguing with you, Yanagisawa-chan," Rika said before turning around and mumbling, "You are too."

Naoko glowered at her and then turned to Terada-san, "Well, if you really are a good person than stay on the lookout for our friends."

"That I can do," he said turning around and walking away.

After he was gone Naoko sighed and said, "Where in the world could they be?"

A/N: Hi-hi, yeah I'm sorry abouttaking so long to update, but as one of my faithful readersknows, it wasn't my fault. My computer wouldn'tget the internet, so I had to wait until Christmas, ut when I got a new computerthe old computer wouldn't let me open upword so I still couldn't get it.But now, finally I got it and I'm contented. Nowabout making this a two part. sorrybut it seemed too long with the other part so I had to split it up into two chapters. Hopefully, the next chapter won't be so long but it'll have the whole reason why I started this story in it. Anyways, prepare for-oh you'll see next time!

Please R/R

SHA


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